The RIGHT Way To Brush Your Teeth: 6 Easy Steps

You are brushing your teeth but still getting new cavities and your gums are bleeding? Sound familiar? Well, maybe we can help.

We all brush our teeth ... well hopefully. But, sometimes a refresher is important or maybe you have never been taught the proper way to brush. Let's break down what you need and the proper way to brush your teeth.

4 Things You Need:

1. Toothbrush
2. Toothpaste
3. Floss
4. Tongue Scraper

These items above, in my opinion, are nonnegotiable when it comes to maintaining a healthy smile. We can dive into the specifics in some later blogs but make sure your arsenal contains all of the above.

Now, let's break down the steps of the "perfect" homecare routine from start to finish.

3 Things You Must Do

1. Brush 2x per day
   • 1 time in the morning
     • Should you brush before or after drinking coffee? Get the answer - read our block on coffee and tooth health - CLICK HERE
   • 1 time in the evening
2. Floss 1x per day (preferable at evening time before bed)
3. Use a tongue scraper

Now that we know what we NEED and what we must DO, let's dive into the perfect oral care home routine.

The Perfect Oral Care Routine - Toothbrush Edition

1. Apply a small dose of toothpaste onto your toothbrush of choice
2. Lightly move the toothbrush around to all teeth in your mouth hitting all sides of the teeth
   • This is to ensure you are spreading the toothpaste around evenly
3. Let's break the teeth down into quadrants, or 4 distinct sections
   • Upper Right
   • Lower Right
   • Upper Left
   • Lower Left
     • See Photo Below for a visual or click here
4. Start at your quadrant of choice and brush all surfaces of every tooth in that area ALONG with brushing the gums
   • You will spend 30 seconds brushing in each quadrant for a total of 2 minutes brushing
5. Spit the excess toothpaste out and DO NOT rinse
   • Rinsing removes the beneficial components of your toothpaste from your mouth
   • Allow the toothpaste to continue working over the course of 30 minutes to 1 hour by not spitting
6. Now, give yourself a thumbs up in the mirror because you are now a top tier "brusher"

A Couple Of Tips

• Brush the top, side, front, and back of every tooth
• Use light pressure - pressing hard is abrasive to the tooth and gums
• Brush your gums at an angle to allow the bristles to penetrate
  • See photo below or click here
• Don't forget to brush your tongue!

Not All Toothbrushes Are Created Equal

You have probably heard from your dentist that an electric toothbrush reigns supreme over that of a manual toothbrush. This is correct. An electric toothbrush adds in sonic vibration which furthers the efficacy of brushing. Sonic vibrations disrupt bacterial colonies that reside on your teeth to a greater extent than the motion your hand creates with a manual toothbrush.

Electric toothbrushes also have timers that will vibrate when it is time to move to another quadrant in your mouth. This ensures you are hitting all the spots but also that you are spending enough time cleaning your teeth.

Along with toothbrush type, it is also important to note that not all bristles are created equal. Ensure that you are using a soft toothbrush - whether you are using a manual or electric toothbrush. This will allow you to effectively clean your teeth and minimize the risk of being too abrasive to the teeth.

Conclusion

Brushing your teeth is a very important part of not only your oral health, but also your overall health. Ensure you are brushing all sides of your teeth. Breaking down your mouth into quadrants helps make sure you are brushing everywhere. After brushing each quadrant for 30 seconds spit out the excess toothpaste, but do not rinse. Allow the components of the toothpaste to work for 30 minutes to an hour.

As always, please feel free to reach out to use with any of your dental questions. We would love to hear from you!